Sep 11, 2007 - 03:00 pm .- Many local Catholics are finding that the more they reflect upon the life and teachings of the late John Paul II, the more they discover just how much he continues to impact their lives today.

Sep 11, 2007 - 11:01 am .- In response to a statement by the Basque separatist group ETA threatening to continuing “hitting the structures of the Spanish State,” Bishop Juan Maria Uriarte of San Sebastian warned, “ETA’s return to arms must be met with a resounding no.”

Sep 11, 2007 - 10:55 am .- Father Robert Prevost has been re-elected Prior General of the Augustinians at their General Chapter which is being held in Rome, coinciding with the 750th anniversary of the founding of the order.

Sep 11, 2007 - 10:51 am .- In a recent letter marking the feast of Our Lady of Victory, Patroness of the diocese, Bishop Antonio Dorado Soto of Malaga said today’s society has gone from “a believing culture to a culture of silence with respect to God, from a Christian world to a pagan world with no reference to the Gospel.”

Sep 11, 2007 - 10:39 am .- The mother of the first baby in Europe to undergo fetal surgery hopes the successful outcome of her story will lead to fewer abortions and allow other children diagnosed with malformations the chance to live.Maria Jose (her last name has not been revealed) gave birth a few days ago to her daughter, who underwent surgery in the womb to correct spinal bifida, a deformation that can cause paralysis, neurological damage, mental difficulties and other problems.

Sep 11, 2007 - 10:21 am .- Archbishop Domingo Castagna of Corrientes, Argentina, said this week that while it’s true that the “administration of human justice should not prioritize mercy, but the law,” it should not exclude mercy from the spirit with which justice is applied.

Sep 11, 2007 - 10:17 am .- Almost half of Britain’s mosques are under the control of a hardline Islamic sect, whose next possible leader loathes Western values and calls on Muslims to “shed blood” for Allah, reports The Times of London.

Sep 11, 2007 - 10:16 am .- Archbishop Pius Ncube, the most outspoken critic of the Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe, has resigned as the Archbishop of Bulawayo after being accused of having an affair. The Vatican announced this morning that Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the archbishop’s resignation.The Vatican press office released a letter written by the archbishop in which he wrote that he offered his resignation to Vatican officials in July to prevent the Church’s image from being tarnished. "In order to spare my fellow bishops and the body of the Church any further attacks, I decided this was the best course of action," he wrote.

Sep 11, 2007 - 09:26 am .- Cardinal Francis George faced the mostly African-American congregation at St. Agatha Church on Sunday and thanked them for their patience during "that terrible tragedy of sexual abuse," reported the Chicago Sun-Times.